Archived News for Engineering Professionals

The South Australian Government is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from groups or individuals to develop and revitalise Adelaide’s Riverbank precinct.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has appointed an engineering expert to drive the Government’s plan to make Queensland a world centre of engineering excellence.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has been conducting research into how it can contribute to the statistical measurement of 'green growth', focusing on green building.  A draft consultation paper has been produced that reports the findings of that research and makes suggestions as to measuring green building.

Engineers Australia has declared 2012 the Year of the Regional Engineering Team.
 

Recruitment specialist Hays has released its January to March quarterly report into labour and skills demand, examining the ‘current hotspots of recruitment activity and trends’.

The Australian Industry Group (AI Group) has formally called on Federal Parliament to reject the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill that would see the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) abolished.

The Federal Government has released a report analyzing the extent to which existing regulatory frameworks support action by major infrastructure sectors in adapting to climate change.

The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committees is conducting an inquiry into the nexus between the demand for infrastructure delivery and the shortage of appropriate engineering and related employment skills in Australia.

The committee has been asked to consider the implications of the shortage for infrastructure delivery and the impact on economic development, cost, efficiency, safety and disputation, and the long term outsourcing of engineering activities by government on skills development and retention in both the private and public sectors.

The committee will consider options to address the skill shortage for engineers and related trades, for infrastructure delivery using alternative procurement models, and to consider effective strategies to develop and retain engineering talent in the private and public sectors through industry training and development, at enterprise, project and whole-of-sector levels. Incentives to the private sector through the procurement process to undertake skills development, and the consequences of skills shortage in the construction sector to the public sectors’ capacity to effectively procure and manage infrastructure projects will also be explored.

The Western Australian Government has announced its formal support of the expansion of Esperance Port, with State Transport Minister Troy Buswell announcing plans to increase capacity by up to 20 million tonnes per annum in a staged plan.

The Federal and Queensland governments have announced that tenders are open for construction companies to apply for two of the three road bridges associated with the $1.15 billion Moreton Bay Rail Link project.

A report released by the Australian Industry Group, Business Investment in New Technologies, has recommended tax breaks and better collaboration between publicly funded research organisations and business to improve public sector take-up of new technologies.

The South Australian Government has signed an agreement to provide assistance to BAE Systems Australia and Rosebank Engineering to establish two new aerospace component facilities at Edinburgh Parks.

The Victorian Government has announced regional and rural councils will share in over $100 million for vital infrastructure in the first allocation round of the Local Government Infrastructure Program (LGIP).

The Queensland Government has released the findings of a preliminary viability study into the proposed Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor (TEARC) project, which found that the proposed $300 million upgrade will be profitable and deliver extensive benefits for the state’s north west.

The Federal and Victorian governments have announced $103 million in co-funding to boost the fuel efficiency and emissions performance of the Ford Falcon and Ford Territory models being manufactured in Australia.

A December surge in resource-related engineering projects has helped stem the rate of decline in the nation's construction sector, according to figures released by the Australian Industry Group (AI Group).

The Federal and New South Wales governments have announced a jointly funded upgrade for the Sydney Cricket Ground following the completion of its 100th test match.

John Holland, a fully owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings, has secured a $240 million contract with Bechtel Australia Pty Ltd on the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project near Onslow on Western Australia’s Pilbara coast.

The Victorian Government has announced Tim Bamford as Executive Director of Major Projects Victoria (MPV), tasking him with overseeing the state's more complex and important construction projects.

A 50:50 joint venture between Clough and engineering and infrastructure management services group, Downer EDI Limited has been awarded an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract by CSBP Limited for the Nitric Acid Plant and Ammonium Nitrate Plant Number 3 (NAAN3).

The award of the contract, which is valued at more than $200 million, follows the completion of the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase of the project.

The EPC scope involves project management, engineering, procurement, prefabrication, construction and pre-commissioning for the NAAN3 plant, located on Western Australia’s Kwinana strip. Engineering work will commence immediately, with the project management and construction team expected to mobilise to site in early 2012.

Current project timelines indicate that the expansion will be completed in the first half of 2014. At peak, the project will employ a workforce of 210 people.

The NAAN3 project will be undertaken on the existing CSBP site in Kwinana, and will significantly enhance the ammonium nitrate production capability of the facility, and the ability of CSBP to service the growing resource industry demand for ammonium nitrate in Western Australia.